State police investigate a crash in September 2017 that killed motorcyclists Jamie Gross, 58, of Belmont, and Aaron White-Sevigny, 25, of Windsor, on Interstate 95 in Augusta. The two were riding in the annual United Bikers Toy Run from Augusta to the Windsor Fairgrounds. Kennebec Journal file photo

The United Bikers of Maine announced Thursday it will cancel the parade portion of its annual Toy Run, following the release of a report by federal safety investigators earlier this week.

“In light of the unfortunate accident, and the report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” the statement reads, “we are eliminating the annual parade of bikes from the Augusta Civic Center to the Windsor Fairgrounds. All toy run activities will be held at the Augusta Civic Center in September 2019.”

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Initial stages of the September 2017 crash sequence, with vehicle 1 (a 2007 Harley-Davidson XL 1200
motorcycle) moving westward on northbound I-95 across two lanes and into the path of vehicle 2
(2008 Ford F250 pickup truck). After these two vehicles collided, the pickup truck veered across
the center lane into the right lane and struck vehicle 3 (a 2008 Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider
motorcycle). Three other motorcycles (vehicles 4–6) that were subsequently involved in the crash
are also numbered. The exact positions of vehicles during the sequence could not be definitively
determined, but this representation is consistent with witness recollections. Adapted from NTSB report

The report indicated that a contributing factor to the fatal crash was the failure of both the Augusta Police Department and the United Bikers of Maine to identify and plan for the risk associated with routing a group motorcycle riders onto and off of an interstate highway without providing additional traffic control or state police oversight.

The 2017 ride drew about 3,000 motorcyclists for the run, which started at the Augusta Civic Center. The route took riders north entering I-95 at Exit 112, traveling north less than a mile to Exit 113, across Route 3 and then to Route 132, ending at the Windsor Fairgrounds.

The crash involved several motorcyclists who were traveling at a slow speed in the travel lane and a pickup truck traveling at highway speed in the passing lane. The NTSB reports states that one of the motorcyclists, Aaron White-Sevigny, 25, of Windsor, veered into the travel lane in front of a truck driven by Willam Nusom, who lost control of the truck. White-Sevigny and Jamie Gross, 58, of Belmont, were killed.

Thursday’s announcement follows a decision by the executive committee of the United Bikers of Maine on Wednesday.

“This was a very hard decision for the UBM board to make,” the statement reads. “Given the past positive history of the toy run, and the safety record for this event prior to this incident, we have been very fortunate. The growing number of participants, the increased distracted drivers on the road as well as the inexperience on the part of some riders as to the proper way to ride with a large group, has played a big part in this decision.”

“This hit us so hard,” Sandy Lyle, public relations officer for the United Bikers of Maine, said Thursday. “The ironic thing is that we are there as a guide to safety and to promote safety and motorcycle riding.”

No Toy Run activities will take place at the Windsor Fairgrounds, and no organized ride is scheduled. In its release, the organization urges riders who ride to the event individually or in a group to ride safely and observe traffic laws.

The 2017 event was the 36th annual Toy Run. Over the years it had grown in popularity so much that the route, which had taken the run through Augusta, was redirected onto the highway.

In 2018, United Bikers of Maine worked with the Augusta Police Department to map a different route that would keep riders off the interstate, and to have ongoing safety discussions.

It read: ““The City of Augusta has reviewed the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report regarding this tragic crash that occurred on September 10th, 2017. While the NTSB does not assign fault by their own disclaimer the City of Augusta has the utmost respect for NTSB and their mission of improving safety when it comes to all forms of transportation in the United States and their best practices will be applied to the City of Augusta’s operating procedures moving forward.”

Mills subsequently said his department will work on revising its procedures for handling events such as the Toy Run.

The NTSB report recommends that the city of Augusta “include in your city ordinances a requirement that all organizations seeking city approval to conduct a parade or special event involving roadway use create a safety plan that includes, at a minimum, the following elements: safe route selection, acquisition of all required permits, and hazard mitigation.”

It further recommends that the United Bikers of Maine “include in your group motorcycle riding event procedures a requirement to create a safety plan that includes, at a minimum, the following elements: safe route selection, acquisition of all required permits, and hazard mitigation.”

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